Cantabrian Mountains | mountains, Spain | Britannica.com Cantabrian Mountains list of Spanish monarchs Cantabrian Mountains, Spanish Cordillera Cantábrica, mountain chain generally extending along the northern coast of Spain for approximately 180 miles (300 km). Scenic and well forested (with beeches and maritime pines), the mountains are of geologically similar origin to the Pyrenees , though classified as a separate formation. They comprise a series of high ridges rising inland from Torrelavega, in Cantabria and Palencia provinces, and crossing (east-west) Asturias and northern León toward Galicia . Fractures have sharply demarcated the range from the Castilian plateau (part of the Meseta Central) in the south and the Cantabrian coastlands in the north, but the eastern and western limits are indistinct. The eastern foothills south of Cantabria rise abruptly into the gigantic limestone mountains of the Europa Peaks , which include Torrecerredo (8,688 feet [2,648 metres]) and the Labra Peak (6,620 feet [2,018 metres]).

The main ridge continues westward, usually less than 60 miles (100 km) wide but with elevations of 5,000 to 7,000 feet (1,500 to 2,000 metres). Most of the higher peaks—including Vieja, Prieta, Llambrión, Naranjo de Bulnes, and Espigüete—exceed 8,000 feet (2,500 metres) and are along the main ridge. West of the Narcea River valley, the ranges change their east-west trend and the Sierra de Rañadoiro runs almost north-south. The main ridge divides into the Sierra de Ancares and the Sierra del Caurel, to the northwest, and the Sierra de Gistreo and the León Mountains, to enclose the basin of El Bierzo, which is drained by the upper Sil River. Sotres village in the Europa Peaks, Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain. Mick Stephenson These chains are a more impressive barrier than the Pyrenees.

The Oviedo-León railway crosses the Pajares Pass at 4,524 feet (1,379 metres) and is one of the most difficult railway passes in Europe . Heavy river currents run northward from the mountains, forging deep valleys, while to the south the mountain’s longer rivers are used for irrigation. The region is economically important because of its iron and coal deposits and as a source of hydroelectric power for the coastal region. Cattle raising is still the dominant economic activity, however. Tourism in the area has increased in importance. Pyrenees | mountain range, Europe | Britannica.com mountain range, Europe Alternative Titles: Pireneus, Pirineos, Pyrénées Related Topics list of cities and towns in France Pyrenees, Spanish Pirineos, French Pyrénées, Catalan Pireneus, mountain chain of southwestern Europe that consists of flat-topped massifs and folded linear ranges. It stretches from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic Ocean on the west. The Pyrenees form a high wall between France and Spain that has played a significant role in the history of both countries and of Europe as a whole.

The range is some 270 miles (430 kilometres) long; it is barely six miles wide at its eastern end, but at its centre it reaches some 80 miles in width. At its western end it blends imperceptibly into the Cantabrian Mountains along the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Except in a few places, where Spanish territory juts northward or French southward, the crest of the chain marks the boundary between the two countries, though the tiny autonomous principality of Andorra lies among its peaks. The highest point is Aneto Peak , at 11,169 feet (3,404 metres), in the Maladeta (Spanish: “Accursed”) massif of the Central Pyrenees. Aneto Peak in the Pyrenees. Avh The Pyrenees long have been a formidable land barrier between Spain and Portugal on the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe; as a consequence, these two countries traditionally have developed stronger associations with Africa than with the rest of Europe, and they have become tied to the sea.

From Carlit Peak (9,584 feet) near the eastern limit of the Pyrenees to the peaks of Orhy and Anie , a succession of mountains rise nearly 9,800 feet; at only a few places, all well to the west, can the chain be crossed through passes lower than 6,500 feet. In both the lower eastern and northwestern sectors, rivers dissect the landscape into numerous small basins. The range is flanked on both sides by broad depressions—the Aquitaine and Languedoc to the north and the Ebro to the south—both receiving waters from the major rivers flowing out of the mountains, the Garonne of France and the major tributaries of the Ebro of Spain. Physical features World War II Forms of life in the Pyrenees have some remarkable characteristics that cannot be explained merely by the influences of climate and soil. The historical vicissitudes of the chain and its isolation at the southwestern limit of the main European peninsula, far from the centres of dispersion and variation of the various species (including humans), have influenced the structure and character of its population.

In the northwest–southeast direction, the vegetation shows a marked and gradually decreasing oceanic influence; the contrary is the case with the Mediterranean influence from southeast to northwest. The exposure of the mountain surfaces and the conditions of local climate caused by mountain relief create special localized enclaves of all kinds. The most characteristic feature of the oceanic influence is the predominance of broad-leaved deciduous trees in the forests of the lower levels and the medium-height mountains, while the Mediterranean influence, represented by evergreen broad-leaved trees, not only is dominant in hot surroundings but also bears drought conditions better. The variety of altitudinal vegetation shows itself in levels. From the medium-height mountain upward, the broad-leaved woods at about 5,200 feet are replaced by needled conifers that require less water. The subalpine level, sometimes as low as 6,500 feet but usually above 7,800 feet, gives way to the more sparsely covered pastures of the alpine level. This altitudinal scheme pertains in the vegetation east of the Orhy and Anie peaks. The oceanic influence, however, with its greater rainfall gives the west of the chain a different pattern.

Broad-leaved deciduous beeches may be found as high as 5,850 feet, with some mix of the subalpine conifers, and there the high pastures are more resistant to damp and permanent snow. Overall the landscape is more like that of the high mountains of western Europe. The Mediterranean influence expands through the entire valley of the Ebro, but it acquires marked signs of a more variable continental climate in the Central Pyrenees. There, great quantities of mountain pines , which are more drought-resistant, take the place of deciduous trees in the higher, colder, and drier parts of the medium and higher levels of the southern slopes. Some groups among the fauna, such as the cave-dwelling animals and frogs and toads , represent a migratory wave that came from ancient Tyrrhenia—associated with Corsica and Sardinia—and displaced certain native European species, relegating them to the Cantabrian Mountains. The Pyrenean fauna is rich today in larger herbivores as well as in the variety and abundance of predators.

Some species, such as the wolf , lynx , and brown bear , have disappeared or had their numbers severely reduced in the northern Pyrenees, although the marmot has been successfully reintroduced. The southern Pyrenees, however, represent one of the last important reserves for wild European fauna driven out of sectors more heavily populated by humans. The present distribution and differentiation of large, warm-blooded animals is undoubtedly connected with the climate and the landscape, but the central-European origin of Pyrenean fauna is clear; for example, of the two species of desman (a semiaquatic member of the mole family), one inhabits the Pyrenees and the other southwestern Russia . Similar comments may be made as to the origin of all cold-blooded animals as well as of the vegetation. Basic differentiations exist among the latter. Pyrenean flora of tropical origin differentiated without any ancient European competition as the new chain replaced the old Hercynian; flora of Arctic origin, brought southward during relatively recent ice ages, are represented by two different branches of orophiles, or plants adapted to mountain life, from central Europe and from Siberia.

Other orophiles have long been differentiated, but they are of Mediterranean origin and are dominant in the drier, sunnier parts of the southern slopes. An Atlantic group of flora predominates in the Western Pyrenees. People and economy The Pyrenees are the home of a variety of peoples, including the Andorrans, Catalans , Béarnais, and Basques . Each speaks its own dialect or language , and each desires to maintain and even augment its own autonomy while at the same time acknowledging a general unity among Pyrenean peoples. Of these groups, only the Andorrans have anything approaching a sovereign state, and even then Andorra is an autonomous principality with close ties to both Spain and France. The Basques, perhaps the best-known Pyrenean people, speak a language that is non-Indo-European and have a long tradition of fiercely defending their autonomy. The people of the Pyrenees traditionally have depended on agriculture and livestock raising for their livelihood. The factors that influenced the development of Pyrenean flora also influenced traditional land usage, the kind of crops raised, and the farming system of each district.

Typical Mediterranean products such as wines, vegetables, and fruits predominate in the Eastern Pyrenees and at the foot of the chain’s southern slope, while in the Western and Central Pyrenees, with their abundant rainfall, potatoes, sweet corn, and forage crops are grown. Livestock breeding, the other essential element of the traditional economy, consists of a seasonal process of moving flocks of sheep and cows up and down the mountains and also using as well as possible the meadows of the valley bottoms and the pastures of the higher altitudes, depending on the snow cover. Frequently in winter, the livestock herds travel far from the Pyrenees, moving to the plains of the Ebro, near the Mediterranean Sea in Languedoc, or to the moors of Aquitaine. This traditional organization—in which the common exploitation of forest areas for timber also played a large part—has been disappearing slowly. Few young people have been willing to settle into the old ways. Gradually, the less fertile plots have been deserted, and the landscape has become dotted by patches of brooms and brackens and plantings of resinous trees.

Even local breeds of sheep or cows have been superseded by imported breeds, which perhaps are more profitable but are less adapted to the climate and the relief. Except for such areas as the Basque Country of Spain and the Roussillon region of France, the agriculture of the Pyrenees is in serious decline. The growing weakness of the Pyrenean agriculture has not been matched by growth in industry. Although the Pyrenees offer considerable hydroelectric potential, the mining of some resources, and an appreciable and diverse supply of wood , most of the mills ( steel and paper ) and factories ( textiles , chemicals, and shoes) established in the 19th and 20th centuries have faced the threat of closing. Except in the two extremities of the chain, most of the industries are far from any major transportation routes. Scarcely any railroads and no major highways traverse the region, although an express highway is slowly being built between Toulouse, Fr., and Barcelona, Spain. Financed by foreign capital and dependent on the aid of the Spanish and French governments, the remaining factories face an uncertain future.

Policies formulated in the 20th century by the two Pyrenean countries helped to both develop and protect the mountains, which have been transformed by a tremendous increase in tourism. Although a boon to the local economy, the crowds of people seeking winter sports, summer sojourns, hunting and fishing, and visits to the national parks of the Central Pyrenees have also contributed to the abandonment of traditional ways of life. Study and exploration For centuries a general lack of knowledge about the Pyrenees permitted repetition of the errors and misconceptions about the mountains that had been propounded by such authors of antiquity as Diodorus Siculus of Sicily and the Greek geographer-historian Strabo (both 1st century bc). In 1582 the first explorations were made, followed by botanical works from the academies at Montpellier-de-Médillan, Fr., and by other studies, including those of the 18th-century Swiss physicist, geologist, and explorer Horace Bénédict de Saussure . The earliest military map of the region dates from 1719, while early topographical studies were the bases of frontier treaties.

In the 19th century the first topographical and geologic maps were made of the mountains, the latter beginning a series of geologic interpretations and controversies among French and Spanish scientists. German studies added to the interpretive geology , but only in 1933 was the first study made that was based on modern research methods. Since World War II , scientists and scholars from universities, technical institutes, and national councils for research in France and Spain have thoroughly explored the Pyrenees and have produced a wealth of knowledge about the massif. Geography of Portugal, Landforms - World Atlas Print this map Mountains and high hills cover the northern third of Portugal, including an extension of the Cantabrian Mountains from Spain . The mainland's highest point is a peak in the Serra da Estrela, at 6,532 ft. (1,991m). Portugal's lowest point is along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Note: Portugal's overall highest point (Pico Volcano ) is located in the Azores (an autonomous region) on the island of Pico. It stands at 7,713 ft. (2,351 m).

Further south and west, the land slopes to rolling hills and lowlands, and a broad coastal plain. The Algarve region in the far-south features mostly rolling plains, a few scattered mountains and some islands and islets. It's coastline is notable for limestone caves and grottoes. Major rivers in Portugal include the Douro, Guadiana, Mondego and the Tagus. There are no inland lakes, as water surfaces of size are dam-originated reservoirs. Mountains of the World. Alps, Dolomites, Maritime Alps, Pyrenees, Berner Oberland, Fjord Norway, Carpathians, Rhodopes, Madeira, Azores, Cantabrian Mountains, Picos de Europa, Transylvanian Alps, Tatras John Osaki's Blog Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. --JOHN MUIR Eons in the making, the great mountains of the world were raised by a series of complex and powerful volcanic and tectonic movements. These have resulted in a diversity of mountain landscapes that shelter a wealth of natural treasures and nurture rich cultures.

The special joys of the mountains are available not only to mountaineers, but to anyoneï¿½stroller, walker, or hikerï¿½willing to lace up a pair of hiking boots and follow a winding path. Mountain glories await you! Come share them with us! Europe Chapel of St. Johann in Ranui, Dolomites. The Alps are the backbone of Europe and its principal and best-known mountain range. No peak in the Alps stands higher than Mont Blanc whose summit brushes the heavens at 15,772 feet. Thrust upward as result of a series of collisions between African and European plates, the Alps continue to grow today. They fan out in a great 750 mile-long arc around Italy's Po River basin encompassing a multitude of ranges, each with its own characterï¿½from the Maritime Alps on the French-Italian border, to the rugged grandeur of Switzerland's glacier-draped Berner Oberland, to the distinctive limestone spires and pinnacles of the Italian Dolomites . The range is named after the high mountain pastures known as alp in German.

In turn, the range has lent its name to the adjective "alpine"ï¿½the general term used to describe high mountain environments anywhere in the world. Czarny Staw pod Rysami ("Black Lake under Rysi") in the Polish High Tatras. Formed during the closure of an ancient sea, the Carpathian Mountains are essentially a continuation of the Alps although they are, in general, not as high or rugged. The great Danube River which drains much of central Europe separates the Alps from the Carpathians. The Carpathians run eastward for 900 miles along the Polish-Slovak border continuing into Ukraine and Romania where they abruptly hook back toward the west as the Carpatii Meridionali, or Transylvanian Alps . The High Tatras on the Polish-Slovak border constitute the highest and most rugged portion of the Carpathians. The highest point in the Carpathians, Gerlachovskï¿½ Stï¿½t, scrapes the Tatra sky at 8,711 feet. Trilistinika Ezero ("Three Leaf Lake") in the Rila Mountains, Bulgaria.

The Carpathian Mountains meet the Rhodope Mountains at a place called the Iron Gates of Orsova. Here, the Danube River cuts through the mountain barrier before making its final run to the Black Sea. The Rhodopes, an extension of the Carpathians, swing southward and then eastward along Bulgaria's border with Greece . They are part of the great mountainous uplift that covers much of the Balkan Peninsula. The Rila and Pirin ranges contain the Rhodope's most impressive high mountain landscapes, reminiscent of the Sierra Nevada or the Wallowas of northeastern Oregon. Musala in the Rila range rises above conifer-clad foothills to the roof of the Rhodopes at 9,597 feet. Large portions of the Rila and Pirin ranges are protected in national parks. The Pirin National Park is a World Heritage Site containing the Baevi Doupki-Djindjiritza Biosphere Reserve. The Fjaerlandsfjord, an arm of the mighty Sognefjord, slices into the Langfjellene. The farm of Berge enjoys a privileged view down the length of the fjord.

The rocky range known as Kjï¿½len ("the keel") forms the spine of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Part of the Caledonian Mountain Group (which includes the Scottish Highlands), Kjï¿½len includes the mountainous uplift known as Langfjellene ("Long Mountains"). Norway's spectacular glacier-carved fjords (including the Sognefjordï¿½one of the world's longest) slice deeply into the Langfjellene to create the filigreed coastline of western Norway. The peak of Galdhopiggen (8,100 feet) in the Jotunheimen range of the Langfjellene is the crown of northern Europe. Monte Perdiguero (10,568 ft) rises above a tarn near Ibï¿½n de Perramo, Spanish Pyrenees. Stretching about 270 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, the Pyrenees form a natural barrier between France and Spain. The central portion of the range is wild and rugged with grand glacial cirques and high lake basins on the French side.

In Spain, Monte Perdido, the highest limestone peak in Europe, soars to 11,008 feet, and the spectacular limestone canyon of Ordesa slices into the heart of the mountains. A significant portion of the central Pyrenees has been recognized as a World Heritage Site. Further east, Spain's Pico de Aneto reaches a Pyrenees high point at 11,168 feet. Barns at the Majada de Terenosa, Picos de Europa. The Cantabrian Mountains (the Cordillera Cantabrica) stretch for 300 miles along the northern coast of Spain. At their eastern end they merge gracefully with the Pyrenees. The most spectacular portion of the Cantabrians is the group of bulky limestone peaks known as the Picos de Europa much of which is protected in the newly expanded Picos de Europa National Park. The Torre de Cerredo in the Urrieles massif of the Picos de Europa is the highest point in the Cantabrian Range at 8,688 feet. Stone bridge on the way between Tsepelovo and Kipi villages.

Dhrakolimni (Dragon's Lake) in the High Pindhos. The Pindhos Mountains (also spelled Pindos or Pindus) comprise the mountainous "spine of Greece" stretching 160 kilometers from southern Albania through the Grecian mainland to the Gulf of Corinth at the northern edge of the Peloponnese. The range separates the regions of Epirus (to the west) and Thessaly (to the east). The range reaches its high point at 8,652 foot tall Mount Smolikas. Composed largely of limestone, the landscapes of the Pindhos Mountains range from deep gorges and canyons (like the Vikos Gorge) to alpine meadows and craggy peaks. Lower elevations are cloaked in deciduous woodlands while coniferous woods featuring endemic species such as the Bulgarian fir (Abies borisii-regis) dominate the higher elevations. Two national parksï¿½the Vikos-Aoos National Park and the Pindus National Parkï¿½protect the core of these mountains. Summit ridge, Mount Olympus.

Perhaps Greece's best known mountain is Mount Olympus (Oros Olimbos), a ten-mile-long range of peaks at the eastern edges of the Plains of Thessaly. Olympus is bordered to the east by the Aegean Sea whose shores sparkle only eleven miles from its summit. Olympus is the highest mountain range in Greece, and there are at least 46 peaks in the range that rise to an elevation of at least 2,000 meters (6,562 feet). The four highest peaks on Olympus are Mytikas (the highest at 9,571 feet), Skolio (at 9,551 feet), Stefani (at 9,544 feet and also known as the "throne of Zeus"), and Skala (at 9,403 feet). In mythology Mount Olympus was regarded as the home of the twelve principal gods of the ancient Greeks. Today, the area is protected in a national park. Seen from Sï¿½o Jorge island, the Azorean stratovolcano, Pico, rises from the Atlantic.

The Azores along with the Madeira, Canary and Cabo Verde Islands are volcanic archipelagos that comprise the island region known as Macaronesia ("blessed islands"). The islands are the highest summits of great submarine mountain ranges that include the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the world's longest mountain range. Broad calderas, cone-shaped volcanoes, and plunging sea cliffs are typical of the Macaronesian landscape. Madeira and the Azores belong to Portugal; in fact the highest mountain in Portugal is the Azorean stratovolcano, Pico (7,714 feet). These subtropical islands boast a wealth of endemic plant species as well as remnants of a forest type that covered much of southern Europe in the Tertiary age. Asia Granite outcrops in the Yān Shān near Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China. The Yan Mountains in the fall seen from the Dongjiakou Great Wall. Yan Mountains, China. The Yan Mountains (or Yān Shān in Chinese) rise to the north of the North China Plain in northern Hebei Province.

The mountains stretch for about 200 miles from the Chaobai River on the west to the Bohai Sea on the east. Beijing lies to the south of the range. The range reaches its highest point at Mount Wuling which rises to almost 7,000 feet above sea level and serves as the centerpiece of the Mount Wuling Nature Reserve. The eastern portions of the Great Wall of China traverse the Yan Shan and provide hikers with a great avenue for exploring the limestone, basalt and granite peaks of this lesser known Chinese mountain range. Hikers on the Great Wall explore the Yān Shān near the pass of Gubeikou. Crossing Daisetsuzanï¿½one of the finest day-hikes in the world! Fumaroles, Asahidake. Summit, Meakandake. Mashu-ko. Hokkaido's Mountain Ranges . Hokkaido is Japan's northernmost island accounting for about twenty percent of the landmass of the Japanese archipelago.

With the exception of the tectonically uplifted Yubari and Hidaka Ranges, Hokkaido's mountains are the result of volcanic activityï¿½not surprising since the entire island sits atop the Pacific "Ring of Fire." The Ishikari Mountains, composed of the Daisetsuzan and Tomuraushi Volcanic Groups, are Hokkaido's highest and most extensive mountain range. The range is dominated by the two-kilometer-wide Ohachi-daira caldera and the volcano Asahidake which is Hokkaido's highest peak rising to an elevation of 7,516 feet. This mountain group is known for its fine displays of alpine wildflowers like those which blanket the slopes of Midoridake in spring. Other important volcanic ranges on Hokkaido include the Niseko Volcanic Group (Niseko-kazangun) lying forty miles to the southwest of Sapporo and protected in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. These highlands are composed of ancient stratovolcanoes and lava domes which last erupted seven thousand years ago. Here is a mountain landscape which some have called the "St.

Moritz of the East." About eighty miles to the east of the Daisetsuzan lies the Akan Volcanic Complex in Akan National Park. The complex includes the active Meakan-dake volcano. Nearby are the large and scenic caldera lakes of Kussharo and Mashu. About seventy miles to the northeast on the Shiretoko Peninsula (Shiretoko-hanto), a line of volcanic peaks juts for about forty miles into the Sea of Okhotsk. This line of mountains along with the neighboring Kuril Islands is part of the Chishima island arc. The Shiretoko Peninsula is one of the most pristine natural areas in Japan and is a designated national park and World Heritage Site. Though they may not be as high as some of the ranges on Japan's main island of Honshu, Hokkaido's mountain ranges offer hikers some of the best volcanic mountain landscapes in the world! Turkey. Turkey is a richly mountainous land. The Pontic Mountains to the north and the Taurus Mountains to the south enclose the high Anatolian Plateau at the country's center. Turkey sits atop a tectonically active zone at the intersection of three continental plates.

A chain of snow-capped volcanoes including the 12,850-foot-tall Mount Erciyes (Erciyes Dağı) and the 13,780-foot-tall stratovolcano known as Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) punctuate the Anatolian landscape. The Pontic Mountains (sometimes called the Pontic Alps or Doğu Karadeniz Dağları in Turkish) stretch along northern Turkey's Black Sea coast. The Pontic Mountains reach their apex at the peak of Kaï¿½kar Dağı (12,930 feet), the centerpiece of the Kaï¿½kar Mountains which lie at the eastern end of the Pontic range between the Black Sea to the north and the Coruh River valley to the south. The Kaï¿½kar Mountains are rugged and glaciated with a true alpine character. High country lakes, flowering alpine meadows and craggy peaks have led some to call the Kaï¿½kars Turkey's most beautiful mountains. Verdant hardwood forests of chestnut, hornbeam and beech along with tea plantations and fruit orchards cloak the foothills of the Kaï¿½kars.

In the south of the country, the Taurus Mountains (Toros Dağları) are actually an extensive complex of four mountain ranges that separate Mediterranean Turkey from Anatolia. Drier than the Pontic Mountains, the Taurus Mountains nevertheless shelter the headwaters of both the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the storied waterways of Mesopotamia. South America Patagonian Andes . Patagonia is a geographic region encompassing the southernmost portion of the South American continent and is shared by Chile and Argentina. The mountainous spine of the Patagonian Andes, the southern extent of the Andes Mountains, stretch for about 1,300 miles in the western portion of the region. To the west, Chilean Patagonia is mountainous with extensive forests, large lakes, fjords, and a damp, maritime climate. Argentine Patagonia, by contrast, consists largely of broad, semi-arid steppes that extend from the Atlantic coast eastward for about 300 kilometers where they meet the abruptly rising peaks of the Patagonian Andes.

The highest peak in the Patagonian Andes is Volcan Domuyo rising to an elevation of 15,450 feet in the northern part of the range in Argentina's Neuquen province. The southern Patagonian Andes is capped by Monte San Valentin, a remote ice-clad peak in Chile's Aisï¿½n region which rises to an elevation of 13,314 feet (although some claims place the peak's elevation several hundred feet lower). Volcan Villarica rises over Lago Villarica, Chile. The northern portion of the Patagonian Andes (between roughly 37 and 42 degrees south latitude) is comprised of the regions known as Araucania and the Region de los Lagos (Lake District). Largely reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest, snow-capped volcanoes (some still active), large lakes, rushing streams and dense forests of southern beech characterize this area. Fjord and mountain view, Central Patagonia, from Cochamï¿½, Chile.

Between roughly 42 and 46 degrees south latitude is a wild, sparsely settled region whose western coastline is a twisted maze of channels, islands, and fjords similar to southeast Alaska. Wild rivers like the Futaleufu tumble to the sea and remote volcanoes occasionally erupt as did Volcï¿½n Chaitï¿½n in 2008 and Volcï¿½n Hudson in 1991. Hiking to Cerro Torre, Los Glaciares National Park. In Southern Patagonia (south of 46 degrees) the Andes increase in average elevation and craggy peaks begin to replace snowcapped volcanic cones. The Patagonian icecap composed of the (Campo de Hielo Norte and the Campo de Hielo Sur) dominates the mountains and forms the largest expanse of ice outside the polar regions. Giant glaciers spill into vast, turquoise-colored lakes, and the iconic granite spires of Patagoniaï¿½Cerro Torre, Monte Fitzroy and the Torres del Paineï¿½pierce the southern skies. The weather in this region can be notoriously inclement, but despite this reality the region is a paradise for hikers.

A view of Cerro Vinciguerra in the wild, rugged heart of the Fuegian Andes. Further south on the island of Tierra del Fuego, the Fuegian Andes rise in the jumble of ice-clad peaks known as the Cordillera Darwin. Broad, glacially-carved valleys penetrate the range which offers some of the wildest and challenging trekking opportunities in the Andes. The Fuegian Andes reach their high point at Mount Darwin which rises to an elevation of 8,163 feet in Chilean Tierra del Fuego. Across the waters of the Beagle Channel, the wild, untrammeled mountain landscapes on virtually uninhabited Isla Hoste call to only the most adventurous. Australia The Australian Alps comprise the highest portion of eastern Australia's continent-long Great Dividing Rangeï¿½a complex of mountain ranges that extends for 1,900 miles from the Grampians in western Victoria state to Queensland in the north. Though the Australian Alps lack the jagged summits, height and steep slopes of their European namesake they are a notable topographic exclamation mark for Australia, a relatively flat and low-lying continent.

The highest portion of the Australian Alps center around the granite summits of the Main Range, part of the Snowy Mountains protected within the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. Here, mainland Australia's only glacially-carved cirques and alpine tarns can be found. The rounded forms and rock-strewn summits of Kosciuszko National Park recall the peaks of the White Mountains of New Hampshire or those of Connemara in western Ireland. The centerpiece of Kosciuszko National Park is 7,310-foot-tall Mount Kosciuszko, the tallest peak on the Australian continent. The peak was named by Polish explorer Paul Edmund Strzelecki in 1840 after the mountain's resemblance to the Kosciuszko Mound in Krakow, Polandï¿½a monument constructed to commemorate the accomplishments of Polish patriot Tadeusz Kosciuszko who served as a general in the the Continental Army during the American Revolution. A "range on range" view in the Victorian Alps. Unlike the granitic Main Range, the Victorian Alps of Victoria state are largely composed of sedimentary rocks. Long ridges with interlocking spurs and rolling high plateaus are characteristic of the Victorian Alps.

A notable feature of these mountains are the Bogong High Plains, a high elevation plateau formed by ancient basalt flows and covered by alpine herbfields and tussock grasslands. A trio of national parksï¿½ Namadgi, Kosciuszko and Alpineï¿½provide protection to a significant portion of the Australian Alps. Europe Landforms and Land Statistics - Europe Landforms, Land Statistics Print this map Alps: Located in south-central Europe, they extend for almost 700 miles from the coastline of southern France (near Monaco) into Switzerland , northern Italy and Austria, then southeast through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina as the (Dinaric Alps). Ending in Albania on the rugged coastline of the Adriatic Sea. Known for stunning scenery, glaciers, lakes and valleys and the best skiing conditions on the planet, they're the source of many rivers and tributaries including the Danube, Po, Rhine and Rhone . The highest point is Mont Blanc at 15,771 ft. (4,807 m) Apennines: The source of almost all rivers in Italy including the Arno, Tiber, and Volturno , the Apennines Mountains (Ital.

Appennino) 830 miles (1,350 km) in length, form the backbone of the country, and run the entire length of the Italian Peninsula, ending on the island of Sicily. The highest point is Mt. Corno at 9,560 ft. (2,914 m). Atlantic Highlands: Formed million of years ago during the Caledonian mountain-building periods as western lands were (forced) or pushed against the Scandinavian Shield. Significant mountain ranges here include the Kjolen in Norway and Sweden, and the Pennines that stretch through the central United Kingdom. Balkan Mountains These mountains extend from Yugoslavia across Bulgaria. Additional ranges run through Albania, Greece and Macedonia. Its most famous mountain is Mt. Olympus, the highest and most awe-inspiring peak in all of Greece. In ancient times it was the mythical home of Zeus, and was declared the first national park in Greece in 1939. It stands at 9,568 ft. (2,918 m). Carpathian Mountains This mountain system located in eastern Europe is the source of the Dniester, Tisza and Vistula Rivers .

They form the natural border between Slovakia and southern Poland, and then extend southward through Ukraine and into Romania. There are major subdivisions, and the highest point is Mt. Gerlachovkain in northern Slovakia, standing at 8,711 ft. (2,655 m). Caucasus Mountains Stretching from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, these volcanic mountains have many peaks above 15,000 ft. (4,572 m). The highest point (and the highest point in Europe) is located here; Mt. Elbrus at 18,506 ft. (5,642 m). Great Hungarian Plain Located in southeastern Europe, and surrounded by mountains, the land features several small forests and large patches of grassland. It averages only 100 meters above sea level and often suffers from dry conditions, thus relying on winter snow run-off from the Alps and Carpathian Mountains. Kjolen Mountains This jagged mountain system runs along the border of eastern Norway and western Sweden. The highest point is Mt. Kebnekaise, standing at 6,965 ft. (2,123 m).

Massif Central This mountainous plateau of southeastern France is the source of the Allier, Creuse and Loire . It's about 32,189 sq. miles (85, 001 sq. km) in size, and the highest point is Puy de Sancy at 6,186 ft. (1,885 m). Mesata The central plateau, or Mesata, covers nearly half of the entire country of Spain. This high plateau averages about 2,300 ft. (700 m) in the north, and 2,000 ft. (600 m) in the south. It's surrounded by a series of mountain ranges including the Cantabrian, Sierra De Gata and Sierra Guadarrama in the north and central, and the Sierra Morena and Sierra Nevada in the south. These mountains separate the Meseta from the Costa Verde, the Ebro valley, the Mediterranean and the valleys of Andalucia. North European Plain The fertile North European Plain slopes to the north-northeast from the Alps, extending to the Baltic Sea, and on into Denmark and southern Finland, Norway and Sweden.

It continues east for almost 2,500 miles (4000 km), on into the Russian Federation. The land is largely flat with smaller areas of hills, including the Central Russian Uplands. Farming is prevalent and agricultural communities dot the landscape. Pyrenees These mountains form the natural border between France and Spain and extend for about 270 miles from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea . The highest point is Pico de Aneto at 11,168 ft. (3,404 m) Scandinavian Shield An ancient area of rocky earth peppered with granite rock that was literally ground down by receding glacial ice sheets. It's a rolling area of land covered with thousands of lakes (mostly small), linked by rivers. Ural Mountains The Urals are 1,640 miles (2,640 km) in length and extend from the northern-edge of the Russian Federation down through Kazakhstan. They form a natural border between Asia and Europe. The highest point is Mt. Narodnaya at 6,214 ft. (1,894 m).

Question: In which European country are the 'Cantabrian Mountains?
Answer: Spain